Performance Issues - Does everybody actually have them?

[BearBear]

I love my writings and my characters so it's a pleasure to write, and therefore fun. If it ever wasn't fun and exciting I would probably have performance issues.

I read very early on a quote from a well known author who said something like, (sorry my memory sucks) put your work down when you're still having fun, so you always have something fun to go back to.

I somehow manage to overfill gaps rather than struggle to fill them.

 

[TheRealKyleTM]

See, I have a neurodivergent enjoyment of writing. I enjoy writing and worldbuilding in particular but I tend to have energy for things in waves, and I have no idea when that wave of interest or energy will come back. I am trying to find a way to stay motivated through this but tis hard

 

[Penpilot]

See, I have a neurodivergent enjoyment of writing. I enjoy writing and worldbuilding in particular but I tend to have energy for things in waves, and I have no idea when that wave of interest or energy will come back. I am trying to find a way to stay motivated through this but tis hard

For me, one thing that makes it easier to keep making progress on a long work is to break it down into small, easily digestible tasks. That's why planning is key for me. Seeing a story as one big task can be a daunting, but seeing it as lots of tiny steps, each easily completed in short time, makes writing a lot easier.

 

[BearBear]

I read that you can write single sentences with one idea each, put them in excel or some other spreadsheet and then expand them with scene and dialogue in any order. Maybe that might work? I tried it once but ended up just powering through them in order.

 

[pmmg]

Sounds like the snowflake method.

 

[BearBear]

Sounds like the snowflake method.

How dare you!

No, actually you're right.

 

[mariewritesthings]

I tend to try to pace the story out mathematically if that makes sense, making key events happen the right percentage of the way through my story. I find that it helps me to fill in an outline. Then I can write each chapter from there in whatever order I want. A bit of caution, though, that if you write the end first, you may end up with a big re-write to accurately convey the characters' emotions in light of everything that has happened.

Here's an example of how to block this out:
Inciting incident - 13% of the overall story
Plot point 1 (early turning point scene key for story & character development) - 25%
Midpoint (should include a scene fundamental to the plot) - 50%
Plot point 2 (another turning point to lead us into the climax) - 75%
Climax - 88%

If you have these 5 key points at roughly the beats listed, you have a pretty well filled out story. Between these, you can add lesser scenes. I say in-between because typically you will already have a good handle on scenes before the inciting incident and after the climax. A good way to generate ideas for the in-between scenes is to think about character arcs and relationship arcs you are gradually developing. The lesser in-between scenes can also be a good opportunity to make sure your heroes/MCs are "eating their spinach and their candy" (source: amazing Mythcreants article). To apply the "spinach and candy" technique, if something great happened to your character in a big scene (candy), give them a minor scene with an inconvenience next (spinach). If something terrible happened to them in the big scene (spinach), give them something that goes their way in the minor scene to lift their spirits (candy). This method will help all their victories feel earned and also is pretty realistic to life in that there are always ups and downs.